Latch for duplex waffle irons



Aug. 23, 1932. B. A. BENSON LATCH FOR DUPLEXvWAFFLE IRONS 2 sheets-SheetFiled Feb. 15, 1930 'Inventar Aug 23, 1932,. B. A. BENSQN 1,873,104

LATCH FOR DUPLEX- WAFFLE IRONS Filed Feb. 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2Yigg. ,2W/Q 5.-

z5 l, 547 g@ Z@ Z9 55 g5 67 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTo1-FICE IBERNHART A. BENSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGOELECTRIC LIANU- FACTUBING CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS Ln'rcn For, DUPLEX WAFFLE :nous

Application filed February 13, 1930. Serial No. 428,095.

My invention. relates to electric wale irons of the duplex type in whichthree relatively superposed sections effect the simultaneous bakingofone walle between the bottom section and the intermediate section, anof another waiie between the intermediate section andthe top section. Insuch waflle irons, -the three sections are desirably interpivoted toeach other on two horizontal and superposed pivot'axes, which pivot axesare parallelto each other Vand extend along one side of thev wallieiron, as for example by the duplex pivoting arrangement disclosed in thecopending application No. 334,840 of Edward `S. Preston, led Januaryelectric-watlle iron.

In using such a duplex waiile iron, the two upper sections (namely, thetop section and the intermediate section) are desirably swung upwardfirst to permit batter to be poured on the heated grid in the bottomsection, which might be done by jointly grasping two handlesrespectively fastened to the top section and the middle section. Butunless the user yretains alirm grasp on both handles, which-is dilicultwhen the user is also manipulating a heavy pitcher of batter, vone ofthe raised sections may slam down.

Consequently, it is highly desirable that means should be provided forlatching the top section to the intermediate or middle section whenthese two sections are raised together, while also permitting the samesections to be unlatched when the top section is to be raised alone sothat batter can be poured for the upper wallie, or so that the bakedupper wallie can be removed. Y

So also, the baked wales frequently stick to both of the grids betweenwhich they are interposed. When this occurs with the upper waffle, araising of the upper section will also lift both the upper waille and.the middle section until the weight of the middle section pulls thewatle off one of the grids between which it was interposed, whereuponthe middle section will slam down on the lower section. All suchslamming not only is unpleasant but also may jar the table suiciently toupset and even break glassware or .60 chinaware, hence it is also highlydesirable 24,1929,0n a' duplex x thatthe middledsection berlatched tothe bottom section whenever the top section is raised.

Moreover, if the hinging arrangement of the duplex walile iron is suchthat the middle section can swing only through anl arcof about ninety.degrees (or to an approximately upright position), while the to sectioncan swing that much farther so as' o dispose the top section in aninverted position, the latchin arrangement should permit this also.

n its eneral objects, my invention aims to provi e a simple andeffective latching arrangement whereby the above described desirablelatching and unlatching can all be accomplished by exceedingly simplemanipulations of a single handle and of a single latch-shiftingpush-button.l Furthermore,

my invention aims to provide an inexpensive tion, which may have thispush-button oper-v a ating through the single handle:

(1) Simultaneously unlatching the middle section from the bottomsection, and latching the middle section to the top section, when thetop section is raised by merely lil'ting the handle.

' (2) Latching the middle section to the bottom section when theconjointly raised middle and ltop sections are returned to their nonalositions.

3 middle section when the pushbutton is pressed before the top sectionis raised 'by lifting the handle, while latching .the middle section tothe bottom section during this lifting of the top section alone.

(4)Unlatching the 'top section from' the middle section when thev.push-button is nlatching the top section from the Y pressed afterthese two sections have been conjointly moved to an approximatelyupright position; so that the top section alone can be swung farther toan inverted position by means of the handle, while leaving the middlesection approximately upright.

(5) Automatically latching the top section to the middle section whenthe top section is swung back from its said inverted position againstthe approximately upright middle section, so that these two sections canthen be swung together down to their normal positions.

Still further and also more detailed objects of my invention will appearfrom the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a duplex electric wale iron equippedwith a latching arrangement embodying my invention, with full linesshowing the disposition of all parts when the two upper sections havebeen raised together, and with dotted lines showing the invertedposition of the top section when the latter has been swung about ninetydegrees farther.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged and fragmentary side elevation, showing the latchparts as they appear when the watlie iron is not in use, or at thebeginning of the baking; and with dottedlines showing the extremeposition to which the handle can be swung before it begins to raise thetop section. c

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 vis a section taken in a vertical plane diametric of the waieiron, through the parts shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the wale iron parts shown in Figs. 2 and 4,with the handle swung up to its halted position, and with the latch andlatch-supporting portions shown in a vertical section diametric of thewaiile 1ron.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but taken after the -push-button`has been pressed inwardly and the handle has thereafter been lifted forpartially raising the top section alone.

Fig. 7 is an enlargement of the upper part of Fig. l, with the bracket,latch casing and the two movable latch members shown in section, andwith dot-ted lines showing the handle in its extreme-raised position.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged and fragmentary verical section, taken along theline 8.-8 of 1g. 2. i Y

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the main latching member.

In the illustrated embodiment, my electric wa-iie iron comprises threehingedly interconnected portions, each of which includes at least oneelectrically heated baking grid. The bottom or basal section comprises apedestal-like base 1 (Fig. 1), a bottom casing 2,

and a bottom grid 3v supported in the upper portion of this casing. Themiddle section includes a tubular casing 4 carrying a. lower grid 5 andan upper grid 6, and this middle section is hingedly connected to thebottom section by a lower hinge member 7 which permits the middlesection to be swung out of its normal horizontal position to the uprightposition shown in Fig. 1, after the manner more fully disclosed in thesaid copendin application No. 334,840.

he top section includes a dome-like casing 8 having a grid 9 mounted inits lower end. This top section is hingedly connected to the middlesection by an upper hinge member-10 which has its hinge axis horizontal,parallel to and above that of the lower hinge member 7. This lowerhinged member also is desirably constructed as disclosed in the samecopending application, to permit the `top section to be swung only about90 degrees from the middle section, so that the top section can bedisposed in an inverted position and freely spaced from the supportingtable 11 (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) when the middle section isin an erect position.

For the needed interlatching of the three sections, I provide threelatch portions, one

being a keeper 12 which is fastened to the bottom section, desirably'Tby one of the same screws 13 which secure the bottom casing 3 tothebottom grid 2. This keeper has its upper end 4portion bent outwardly anddownwardly to aorda hook 12A.

F astened to the middle section,l (desirably by some of the same screws14 which secure the tubular middle casing-4 to the grids 5 and 6 of themiddle section) is a latch carrier in the form of a latch casing 15which opens outwardly of the wafile iron and which sup ports adouble-hooked latching member. This latching member (shown separately inFig. 9) consists of a metal strip 16 having an outwardly directed anddownwardly open upper hook 17 formed at its upper end, and having aninwardly directed and upwardly open lower hook 18 at its lower end. Thelatching member also includes inwardly projecting side wings 19 whichfit freely between the sides of the latch casing 15 and which wings arepivoted to these casing sides by a hori zontal pivot pin 20, as shown inFigs 3 and 4.

F astened to and projecting outwardly from the top section of the walileiron is a bracket (or upper 'latch carrier) which includes upright feet21 secured to the top section by screws 22 (Fig. 3), a top 23 which hasits outer end portion curved downwardly as in Figs. 4 and 5, and uprightsides 24. This bracket serves as the support for two members, bothpivoted to it on horizontal axes, namely an upper latch hook and ahandle 26. The upper latch hook includes a metal strip 27 having'anupwardly and inwardly directed hook end 28 formed at its lower end, and

two side wings 29 which extend rearwardly from the strip 27 and fitfreely between the sides 24 of the said bracket, to which bracket theupper latch hook is pivoted by a horizontal pin 30 extending through thebracket sides-24 and the latch hook wings 29.

The wing perforations through which the pivot pin 30 extends are spacedsuiiiciently inward and upward of the wale iron from `the strip portion27 of the upper latch hook so that gravity normally holds this upperlatch hook in the position shown in Fig. 4, in which position the hookend 28 of the upper latch hook underhangs the upper hook 17 of thepreviously described latching member.

The needed single handle 26 is tubular and has one end extending betweenthe two. sides 24 of the said bracket, and this handlev end is pivotedto the said bracket sides by screws 31 which have a common horizontalaxis and which do not reach into the bore of the handle. To strengthenthis end of the handle, I desirably reinforce it-by a ferrule 32 throughwhich the pivoting screws extend, as shown in Fig. 8, with the tips ofthe screws spaced farther apart than the diameter ofthe handle borebetween them.

- Extending slidably through the smaller diametered handle bore portion33 which opens at this reinforced end of the handle is a plunger stem 35which has a head 36 normally engaging that end of the handle. The otherend of the plunger stem is fastened to a pushbutton 37 which projectsbeyond the o uter end of the handle and which slides in a largerdiametered handle bore portion 34. A compression spring 35 interposedbetween the push-botton 37 and the inner end of the bore portion 34continuously urges the plunger toward the outer handle end in which thebutton slides, so as to hold the head 36 normally against the oppositeend of the handle from the push-button.

When the three sections' of my waie iron are in ,their normal superposedpositions of Figs. 2 and 4, the handle depends as shown in full lines inthese figures, and the hooks at both ends of the latching member which.is pivotally mounted inl the latch casingfastened to the middle sectionare disposed for interlocking respectively with keeper 12 and with thehook 28 which depends from the handle-supporting bracket 24.

To raise the top and middle sections conjointly to the erect positionsshown.in full lines in Fig. 1, the user merely swin the l handle outwardto its horizontal positlon of Figs. 5 or 6 (in which position the swingmovement of the handle is stopped by the engagement of the handleferrule 32 with the outer end of the bracket top 23) and then raises thehandle still further.

As soon as the handle starts lifting the upper section, the dependinghook 28 interf locks with the upper hook 17 of the pivoted 4latchingmember, thereby rocking that member (in a direction which iscounter-clockwise in Fig. 4) to the position of Fig. 5 in which thelower hook- 18 of the latching member clears the hook 12A'of the keeper.Consequently, the middle section is raised Ialong with the top sectionand moves with the latter until the lower hinging member 7 halts themiddle section in the erect position of Fig. 1, with the top sectionstill latched to the middle section by the engagement of the upper hookon the 4middle section with the hook depending from the top section.

When the handle is then released, it swings down by gravityto thehorizontal position shown in Figs. 1 and 7 and presses (by gravity)against the normally lower hook 18 of `the pivoted latching member,thereby holding the hooks 28 and 17 all the more firmly interlocked. Bygrasping the handle again and pulling it toward the right (in Fig.. 1),

the handle Aswings the two upper sections downward, and these sectionsare kept continuously interlocked until theyare returned to their normalhorizontal positions, in which normal positions the seating of thesections on each otherv spaces the rela-tivelyinterengageable hookportions from one another vertically as shown in Fig. 4.

If the top section is to be lifted alone, the user first swings thehandle to its horizontal bracket-stopped position and then presses thepush-button 37 inwardly, so that the head 36 of the plunger rocks theupper hook member in a counterclockwise direction, thereby swinging itshook 28 clear of the upper hook 17 of the pivoted latching member. Acontinued lifting of the handle (as in Fig. 6)

then raises only the top section, while theinwardly (as by the finger 40in Fig. 6), and

the raising movement of the handle is the same in either case. Moreover,the middle section is automatically latched to the bottom section whenthe push-button has been pressed inwardl for raising the top sectionalone, and the top section is kept firmly interlocked with theconjointly raised middle section by the action of gravity.

Moreover, the top section can instantly be unlatched from the middlesection when both of these sections are in their erect positionsofkFigs. 1 and 7, by merely raising the handle to the upright positionshown m dotted lines in Fig. 7 and then pressing the push-buttoninwardly of the handle to release the upper hook member from theadjacent hook of the pivoted latching member. This permits the topsection to be swung further by means of the handle to the invertedposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thereby exposing all of thegrid faces so that they can easily be cleaned.

Since simple stampings suffice for the keeper, the latching member, theupper hook member and the handle-supporting bracket, my entire latchingand manipulating arrangement is quite inexpensive. -Moreover, all of theneeded parts can be of such relatively small size as not to detract fromthe appearance of the waffle iron as a whole.

In shaping the upper hook member, I desirably form the back 27 so thatit will be engaged by the plunger head 36 at a point above the axis ofthe plunger, so as to affect the desired rocking of the hook member byvoperation of the push-button. This may be done by rounding both the saidback 27 and the end of the plunger head, as shown in Fig. 6. I alsopreferably make the said back 27 of such a length that it will engageythe top 23 of the bracket to stop the plungeractuated rocking of theupper hook member, as illustrated in Fig. 6, thereby informing the userwhen the push-button has been pressed inwardly to a suicient extent, andalso preventing the upper hook member from iopping too far over.

However, while I have heretofore described my invention in an embodimentincluding many desirable details of construction and arrangement, I donot wish to be limited in these respects, since many changes might bemade without departing either from the spirit of my invention or fromthe `ap pended claims, nor do rI wish'to be limited to the employment ofmy invention in a multi-sectional appliance for baking wafiies, sincel asimilar arrangement could be used with equal advantages if the. gridswere formed for baking superposed griddlev cakes, doughnuts or the like.

I claim as my invention:

l. A wafll iron comprising three normally horizontal and relativelysuperposed and electrically heated sections, namely a bottom, a middle,and atop section; pivoting means at one side of the waiile iron forinterhinging the sections, and latching means at the oppositefside ofthe waflie iron for releasably latching the middle section to boththe-bottom section and the top section, the latching means including twolatch carriers respectively fast upon the top section and the middlesection; the said carriers laterally intertting each other when the topand the middle section are interlatched, so as to prevent relativerotational movement of the to-p and middle sections about the verticalaxis of thel walle iron.

2. Awaille iron comprising three normally horizontal and relativelysuperposed sections interhinged at one side on horizontal axes, andmeans for selectively latching the middle section to the top and bottomsections, the said means comprising a latch hook depending from andpivotally mounted on the top section, and a latching member pivoted tothe middle section on a horizontal pivot axes and having itsupper endformed with a hook freely overhanging thehook portion of the latch hookwhen the top section is seated onthe middle section, the said pivot axisbeing abgve, and inwardof the walie iron from the center of gravity ofthe latching member, whereby gravity continuously tends to hold thelatching member in its said disposition when the top sectiony is seatedon the middle section. Y

3. In an electric waflle iron having relatively sup-crposed bottom,middle and top sections interhinged on horizontal axes at one side ofthe waflie iron, and latching means comprising: a latch hook dependingfrom and pivotally mounted on the Vtop section at the opposite side ofthe waffle iron, the latch hook having an upwardly open hook formationat its lower end; a keeper fast on the bottom section and having adownwardly open hook formation at its upper end, and a single generallyupright latching member pivotally connected intermediate its ends to themiddle sections on a horizontal axis and having a hook at each end thelatching member being movable from one to another of two positions, inthe first of which its upper ,hook overhangs the hook formation on thelatch hook, and in the second of which its lower hook underhangs thehook formation on the keeper. i

,4. A waiile iron construction as per claim 3, in which the pivot axisof the latching member is above and inward of the waffie iron from thecenter of gravity of the latching member, whereby gravity normally holdsthe latching member in its said first position; in combination with anoperating member movablefor forcing the latching lever from its first toits second position, and a spring normally holding the operating memberout of its said lever forcing disposition.

' 5. A wafiie iron including three superposed sections and two means atone side of the walie iron for pivoting the middle section respectivelytothe top and bottom sections on superposed horizontal axes; tWo latchhooks respectively mounted on the top and bottom sections; a singleintermediate latching member movably mounted on the middleV ksection formovement to and from two posiing substantially radially of the waliieiron,

on the top section, and means operably by a hand grasping the handle forcontrolling the position of the latching member.

6. A waffle iron construction as per claim 3, including a latch carrierfast on the top section and to which the latch hook is pivoted, thelatch hook having a portion thereof'disposed for engaging a part of thesaid latch carrier to limit the rocking of the latch hook in onedirection.

7. A waiiie iron construction as per claim 3, including a latch carrierfast on the top section and to which the latch hook is pivoted, thecarrier having vertical sides extenda handle having a stem extendingbetween the said sides, means for pivoting the handle to the latchcarrier on a horizontal axis, a plunger slidably extending through thehandle and adapted to engage the latch vhook when the plunger is slidinwardly, and a spring resistingr the inward sliding of the plunger.

8. A Waffle iron including three superposed sectionsand pivoting meansdisposed at one side of the wallie irons for permitting movement of eachupperv section on a horizontal axis with respect to the bottom section;a latch carrier extending outwardly from the top section at the oppositeside of the waiiie iron from the pivoting `means, a keeper on the bottomsection at the same side as the latch carrier; a latch hook supported bythe latch carrier; a latching member pivotally supported upon theintermediate section and having oppositely directed hook formationsrespectively adapted to engage the latch hook and the keeper; meanspivoting the latching member to the said intermediate section on ahorizontal axis :fart-her inward of the wafie iron than the center ofgravity of the latching member, whereby gravity normally holds thelatching member disposed for engaging only the said keeper, and latchshifting means movably supported by the latch carrier for moving thelatching member out of its normal keeper engaging disposition and intoengaging relation with the hook.

' 9. A waffle iron as per claim 8, including a handle pivoted at itsupper end to and normally depending from the bracket, the bracket havinga portion disposed for engaging the handle to limit the outward swing.

of the handle substantially-to a horizontal position; the handle havinga portion thereof adapted to bear by gravity against the latching memberwhen the top and middle sections are both swung to a substantiallyupright position, so as to hold the latching member in a position inwhich one of its hook formations is interlocked with the said latchhook, thereby maintaining the interlocking of the top anc' middlesections when both thereof are in substantially upright positions.

10. A wale iron as per claim 8, in which eachsection includes a grid,and in which the latching member is supported by av latch carrier fromthe intermediate section; the

latch member, latch carrier and keeper beingflm respectively fastened togrids of the three sections on which they are mounted.

11. A waffle iron as per claim 5, including a bracket-like member fastupon the top section, to which member the handle, is pivoted and fromwhich member the handle normally depends, the said member having a stopportion adapted to be engaged by the handle when the handle ,is swungupwardly,

whereby a further raising of the handle will lift the top section also.

12. A baking appliance comprising three relatively superposed sectionsconsecutively .pivoted to each other at the same side. of the appliance,and means at the opposite side of the appliance for selectively latchingthe middle section to either the bottom or the top section, the saidmeans including a latching member movably supported by the middlesection and normally latching the middle section tothe bottom section,and a control member movably mounted upon the top section and actuablefor moving the latching member to unlatch the middle section from thebottom section and to latch the middle section to the top section.

13. A baking appliance as per claim 12, including a handle carried bythe top section, the control member being disposed for actuation by thehand grasping the handle.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, January 27th,

BERNHART A. BENSON.

